Parliament Upholds 30% Pass Rate, Sparking Outrage and Accusations of "Modern Bantu Education"
Cape Town – The South African government's continued defence of the 30% pass rate in schools has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with opposition parties and education experts decrying it as a perpetuation of inequality and a hindrance to the nation's progress. Despite repeated calls for reform, Parliament has voted to maintain the controversial benchmark, effectively thwarting efforts to raise educational standards.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane, a vocal advocate for a higher minimum standard of 50%, expressed his disappointment after his party's latest attempt to abolish the 30% pass mark failed. He stated: "They keep insisting that a learner doesn’t only need 30% to pass the National Senior Certificate. Some subjects require 30%, others 40. I think this is utter nonsense. No one can be proficient by just scraping 30%. It sets expectations too low and tells teachers this is all they have to do."
Maimane argued that international evidence contradicts the government’s stance, noting that raising standards drives meaningful reform. As he put it: “Research has shown us that when you set the bar high, you begin to reform the entire system. You ensure that you do all the things that change our education system, such as fixing ECD centres, adjusting curriculum, building infrastructure, rewarding teachers better, and ensuring that learners have a better future. Yet the government is adamant at defending this.”
BOSA tabled a motion in Parliament proposing that South Africa move from a 30% pass threshold to 50%, increasing it progressively over time to allow the system to adjust. “Several parties agreed that the standard must be raised,” he said. “But some remain stubbornly committed to defending 30%, even though the countries we compete with, the same countries who came here for the G20, all demand higher pass marks from their learners.”
Maimane criticised the parties that rejected the proposal, stating: “The following parties voted to keep Bantu education standards: ANC, DA, VF, PA, and Al Jamah. They hugged incompetence and embraced mediocrity. Now SA knows.”
The 30% threshold entrenches low expectations and harms learners’ long-term prospects, Maimane argued. On the same day as the debate, BOSA submitted a petition with more than 20,000 signatures to Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, reinforcing public support for raising the standard.
Echoing Maimane's concerns, Sihle Ngubane of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party said the current benchmark is unacceptably low. “As the MK party, we will focus resources to reduce socio-economic factors that keep producing quintal 1 – 3 schools in order to level the playing ground. When we tell learners that 30% pass rate is enough, we are ignoring 70% of their potential. Education must be about teaching children to reach full potential, not embracing mediocrity as normal.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters’ Mandla Shikwambana warned that such a threshold is inadequate for a generation expected to compete in a knowledge-driven global economy. Busaphi Machi of the Inkatha Freedom Party agreed, insisting that a learner scraping by with 30% is not ready for the demands of the modern job market or higher education. “We can’t continue pretending otherwise,” she said.
Economists and business leaders, including Busi Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership South Africa, argue that the 30% pass rate contributes to a severe skills mismatch. Low proficiency standards, particularly in subjects like math literacy, result in an “unemployability problem,” leaving job seekers without the high-level skills required in a modern, digital economy.
Experts said this low standard also hinders South Africa’s global competitiveness. Benchmark countries often require minimum pass marks of 50% or higher, and the country produces fewer STEM graduates, only 18% of total graduates compared to over 30% in competing nations.
BOSA spokesperson Roger Solomon slammed the vote, saying: “The GNU marriage between the DA and the ANC voted together in Parliament to cement the 30% pass mark, which is modern day Bantu education.”
He accused opposing parties of failing South Africa’s youth, stating that by accepting low standards, they are leaving millions unprepared for the future and at risk of unemployment. “The 30% pass mark is nothing more than Bantu Education in the modern era. It is a policy that entrenches low expectations and masks systemic failure. By defending this standard, these parties have chosen to protect an illusion of success instead of confronting the crisis in our education system,” he added.
While expressing disappointment, Solomon said BOSA remains committed to higher standards and systemic reforms, including subject-specific competency thresholds, national benchmarking, stronger career guidance, and targeted support for struggling learners. “The 30% pass mark alone is not a safeguard. Real reform requires systemic measures that raise learning outcomes and equip learners for real-world demands,” he said. He emphasised that raising the pass mark is about expectation, not punishment.
Education experts, including the Department of Basic Education, clarified that passing the overall National Senior Certificate (NSC) with just 30% in all subjects is not possible. The NSC uses a multi-tier structure (Bachelor’s, Diploma, Higher Certificate), with more complex minimum requirements. For example, learners must achieve 40% in a home language and at least 30% in three other subjects to qualify for certain certificates.
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